A very rare lobster is set to go on
public display this week at the Maine State Aquarium in Boothbay Harbor where
it will live among other odd-looking lobsters, mostly those with strange
coloring.

But this one will stand out for
something quite extraordinary: it has six claws.

Capt. Peter Brown and fisherman
Richard Figueiredo were lobster fishing aboard The Rachel Leah, one of the five
boats featured in “Lobster Wars” on Discovery Channel, when they caught the
four-pound, 10-year-old crustacean in one of their traps off Hyannis,
Massachusetts.

On the left side, they noticed five
Edward Scissorhands-like claws where only one claw should be. A normal claw was
on the other side.

Recognizing the lobster as something
special, Brown named the lobster Lola and donated it to the Maine State Aquarium.

“This claw deformity is a genetic
mutation,” aquarium manager Aimee Hayden-Roderiques told WMTW-TV in Maine.
“Sometimes they have this throughout their life, sometimes this happens during
a regeneration from a damaged or lost claw.”

The aquarium has two other lobsters
with similar deformities on display, but neither is like Lola.
Hayden-Roderiques said she has never seen one with six claws before.

It was also a first for David Libby,
a marine scientist for the Department of Marine Resources who works at the
aquarium and has 40 years of experience working with marine life.

“Sometimes the genes will just get a
little mixed and it will grow a funny claw,” he told the Bangor Daily News.
“But I’ve never seen anything like this.”

Lucky for Lola, the deformity saved
her life.

Link to full article from David Strege and
additional video footage below:

Matt's Rant: I decided that because GrindTV’s nature section has
provided some pretty fascinating filler for my blog, it only seems fair that I
provide a link to my side column. It looks like I will have to break all of
this blog-bling into two different columns at
some point.

Mutations like this are rare but always worth noting. If you see this type of thing in greater numbers it is a much more concerning matter. One five-fingered lobster is not as alarming as hundreds if not thousands of hermaphrodite smallmouth.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Once upon a time Max had asked me for some fishing advice
and invited me to fish a friend’s private pond. Before his annual trip to Lake
McConaughy I had set him up with some additional gear in the way of a 6’6” St.
Croix two-piece rod, some fantastic plastics, a few hooks, a couple cranks and
spinnerbaits along with a small soft tackle bag to put it all in. A week later Max
sends me this photo.

Included in the message was merely the details below.

36” 12lbs

Of course I picked up the phone and called him immediately. Max
gave me a rough sketch of fishing highlights over the week and the details of
the pike shown in the photo. Apparently the 4” clear bodied crankbait from the
gear bag I had given them landed most of the fish including a few walleye.

“We noticed fish were most active during the morning and the
evening so that is when we would take the boat out. Caught walleye most of the
time. Then we went out during the middle of the day and one of the teens landed
this.”

Max and his family had a fantastic time and growing more and
more interested in fishing. They practiced catch and release for the most part
but decided to take a few fish home. Max did some homework and found great
instructions on how to cook up the northern pike. “It was very tasty and we
ended up eating the entire fish in one day. Nothing wasted.”

Monday, September 2, 2013

by Nelson Harvey, Aspen Daily News Staff WriterAirborne fish aren’t native to the Colorado Rockies, but in recent weeks about 125,150 lucky swimmers have learned what it feels like to fly — at least for a few seconds.

The fish have been plummeting out of planes all over southern Colorado as part of the annual aerial stocking effort conducted by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), the agency charged with maintaining the state’s fish populations.

Aerial stocking, with helicopters and Cessna 185 airplanes, is used to drop fish into the state’s high mountain lakes that are virtually inaccessible by foot or horseback. The program targets more than 600 lakes across the state, many of them at elevations of between 10,500 and 12,000 feet.

Aside from insuring that backpackers and other backcountry travelers will have fish to catch, stocking remote high mountain lakes can help establish isolated populations of fish for scientists to draw on in case the need to breed them should arise.

Plane drops are a mere subset of the state’s annual stocking effort, which will put more than 53 million fish into Colorado waterways this year alone. According to CPW figures, fishing is second only to skiing as an economic contributor to Colorado’s recreation economy, contributing around $1.2 billion annually. Maintaining that moneymaker takes a lot of work.

Last week, the Garfield County Airport was at the epicenter of aerial stocking efforts in the state, as three pilots used the Rifle runway as a base to stock 265 high alpine lakes in western Colorado. This week the pilots will head to Salida, Gunnison and Durango to stock lakes high in the San Juan mountain range, according to Mark Jimerson, assistant manager at the Rifle Fish Hatchery.

In Colorado, aerial stocking typically takes place in the late summer or early fall, when high-altitude lakes are mostly thawed out from the previous winter.

"I don’t like bouncing them off the ice," said Al Keith, a Colorado Springs-based pilot and one of four who handle the bulk of aerial fish stocking across the state.

The pilots alternate each year between stocking southern and northern Colorado, which is much wetter. Last year, according to Jimerson, the pilots stocked 422 northern Colorado lakes.Link to full article from Aspen Daily News:http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/159302
﻿

Sunday, September 1, 2013

To be a successful angler on moving streams, creeks or
rivers it really helps to be able to read the water. Most can spot the gorgeous
slack-water pools and big pretty flat sections. These easy to spot areas get
hit by every angler that passes through. My success comes from locating the
pieces of water that get overlooked or fished less frequently.

One such spot is a section of boulders that create an ideal
place for fish to hold up. Rocks break up the force of the current and create a
feeding trough of sorts behind them. Having three rocks in close proximity
triples the odds that I will pull something out. I will cast in front, to the side
and then run my lure through the sweet spot of water holding behind the
boulders.

Fishing on the creek this year has been decent but I have
had to deal with a lot of summer traffic and bad weather in the afternoon. The
rainstorms have been mild to “run for your life”. Traffic brings frustration
from all angles including tubers, kayakers to dogs swimming right through the
casting lane. After no bites, a pair of shades and several flip flop shoes…I
decide to move on.

Now I have to take a moment and admit that I spend time doing
things simply for my blog. For a few years now I have tried to catch a fish
near the bronze sculptures to show a fish on fish photo. Finally I was able to
stick the landing on a decent browny near the sculpture and pull off the shot.

Water levels on the creek have been good to great
considering recent drought years that brought things to a mere trickle. Runoff
was not where we would have liked but the more than average rains made up for
the lack of snow melt in a big way. Around
April I was becoming deeply concerned that some of these smaller slips of water
would be pushed to absolute desperation mode this year. Being able to catch a
few sturdy brownies on the nearby creek is a blissful way to spend a few hours
where a larger trip was not possible.

A lot of money and effort has been spent over the last few
years to cleanup and restore Clear Creek. Quality of creeks is often a lesser
concern when mining and development occurred in the west. We are slowly undoing
the damage of the past and given the opportunity nature will respond in kind.

Restoration projects are just the start and very expensive.
Not every creek is going to get this type of attention. Anglers for the most
part are doing a great job but there are still way too many signs that we are
not. Spent fishing line, lure packages and big red discarded bobbers on the
shoreline discredit us all.

Every recreationalist has a responsibility to respect the
creek and minimize their impact. At the very least folks need to pack their
trash out and approach all wilderness areas with a “leave no trace” attitude. The
number of trash picker uppers is growing on the creek and I would love to see
this trend continue.

My name is Matt and this is just another creek trip, nothing
to see here, folks. Move along.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

“You take a left turn off the main road and drive about
seven miles. Turn at the second entrance, look for the green sign. Take the off
road trail to the parking lot perched atop a hundred foot drop. You should
see the water from there. Watch your step. Barbed wire grows from the
ground…not kidding.”

This is how the place was described me to by Mr. K.O. about
six years ago. First trip in and my legs learned quickly that even though it
looked heavenly from the top of the cliff, things would only get downright
gnarly once I reached the bottom. This trip was no exception. Summer rain gave
the foliage increased vigor and a bit of an attitude. The brush was heavier
than ever except the barbed wire ones…they were just a little more rusty and more
difficult to see. I took a photo of what looked like a new patch emerging from
where the cattle had recently grazed.

Foliage and mosquitos were biting from all directions but
the fish not so much. I was able to coax small fish from spots here and there
but no signs from the OMG section. Conditions were clear in the morning with
showers predicted later in the day. Action might have been better in the
evening but rough terrain and the dirt trail makes the dry morning run a bit
easier to deal with.

The top of this fish is spectacular in the sunlight but not
even close to what I hope for. Most fishing places are hit and miss depending
on the day but this location is a trip to skunksville more often than not.Even after catching fish I still felt like
this trip was a skunker . All; I can do is soak up the scenery and mild
conditions while making another cast.

Before reaching the end of the stretch a herd of cows had picked
their spot to stop, graze and lounge around a bit. I worked the area just to
the west and waited for them to move on. Instead of moving they stood their
ground and gave me a few rough looks. Not being equipped for longhorn I chose
to retreat and look for water I had missed on the way back.

At the end of the day I chalked the day up as another trip
into the scrag and just getting out with only a few scratches is a notch on the
“good day” side of things. The results may not have met expectations but these days
I am just happy to be out there.

In a bizarre capture, bait is attacked by 3-foot shark, which is then 'completely swallowed' by a large sand tiger shark

(I probably don't have permission to repost this photo but its worth a few dents in the street-cred department. Please visit Grind TV and special thanks to University of Delaware for not sending me a lot of hate mail.)Researchers at the University of Delaware set out recently in the hope of recapturing tagged sand tiger sharks. They enticed a large female but it was the bizarre manner by which they captured the predator that left them shaking their heads in disbelief.After casting a small fish called a menhaden, a small shark called a dogfish was quick to snatch the bait, only to be swallowed by the much larger sand tiger shark. “The dogfish was about 3 feet long and completely swallowed by the sand tiger shark,” states a post on the university’s ORB Lab Facebook page.The researchers had captured a shark within a shark, which prompted pro bass angler Aaron Martens to comment: “There’s gotta be some kind of ‘turducken‘ label for this kind of situation.”The ORB Lab is short for Ocean Exploration, Remote Sensing, Biogeography Lab.Scientists are trying to recapture tagged sharks, or tags that have popped off of sharks, to compile data for study.Sand tiger sharks are vicious-looking because of the many dagger-like teeth protruding from their jaws.Writes the ORB Lab in a separate Facebook post: “Their protruding spike-like teeth are perfect for spearing their favorite foods: bony fishes, small sharks, rays, squids, crabs, and lobsters.”Sand tigers, which can measure to about 10 feet, lose an average of one tooth per day and boast 56 rows of teeth in each jaw “at any time waiting to replace lost or broken teeth.”The sand tiger in the photo looks to have lost a couple of front teeth during its attack on the dogfish and/or its capture (and release) by scientists.Quite a day of fishing!Visit the full article on GrindTV at the link below:http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/turducken-of-the-sea-scientists-off-delaware-catch-shark-within-a-shark/

Saturday, August 3, 2013

While fishing the wood structure for crappie, Don throws a
big bait into the cove hoping for a bigger bite. Fishing for the MAD Show has been
off and on all year long so I knew he was due for a big fish. First cast out
and his rod bends over with a heavy fish. The bite was so hard we both swear we
could hear it under the water.

These are the moments both of us live for and both of us
hold our breath it seems until the other one lands the fish. There is no
hesitation when it comes to helping with the photo op and at times I have to persuade
this guy to let me use these pictures on my blog.

The lure used was a jig combo that I put together several
years ago. Once you get the right materials it snaps together lickety-split. Later
I asked him what he was throwing and he said, “Your lure.” I missed the first
part and only caught what sounded like “lures”.

“No #$%^!” I responded as if Don was holding out on me. “I
didn’t think you were throwing live bait…seriously…what are you throwing?”

“YOUR LURE!” he responded holding up the jig-combo. We
laughed for about 30 minutes straight.

It is still good fishing you, Don. The one guy that can get up
early to the meet spot and doesn’t sell out the fishing locations that I meticulously
dig up.

Matt’s rant: Water quality is not a
hot topic for a lot of folks but for anglers it can mean the difference between
a good fishing spot and human generated fish kill. A lot more could be done in
regards to educating the public about potential dangers that are not obvious to
the naked eye. Publicizing the bad examples and penalties that are handed down
to polluters may also help stress the importance of water quality overall. At
the very least it may help explain why those crappie from Union Reservoir smell
a bit like crap.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Falling so far behind on the material that I need to kick out a few photo threads before fall fishing gets underway. Honestly I have about 20 trips that will drop from the radar completely if something doesn't give. So For this bass and bluegill post that is well past due I have decided a more streamline release is the only way its going to happen. Enjoy.

﻿

All of these fish were caught and released on the same day using black bunny streamers weighted down with a 1/8oz split shot for bass and a small beaded nymph for the bass. For some reason I get more bites going deep with the bait. I also have tremendous success employing a fleeing type of behavior when the fish moves towards the bait. This gives the fish less time for inspection and demands more commitment to the lure. Hopefully this information and a photo thread is enough to make the stop by worthwhile.

Friday, July 12, 2013

One minute the whole state is on fire and shortly after that we are hit with a seasonal monsoon pattern. Activity on the fire line changes to sandbagging and flashflood management. Never a dull moment in Colorado.

Next week I will be hosting a seminar in Manitou Springs with tips on how to fish a mudslide. This demonstration will include instructions on how to cast a boat anchor with your Tenkara rod and where to attach the beacon on your fly vest.

For some amazing pictures of flash flood aftermath in the Manitou Springs area, please review the Denver Post Article at the link below.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Morning conditions were mild with a slight breeze. Air temps
were a comfortable 55 degrees at 7AM near Idaho Springs. Shaded areas were
colder. Casting to the sunny and shade things started out very slow with the
yellow and white spinbug. No hits, bumps, flash or follows. Switch up to color
number two and it gets some attention.

Most of the fish along this 50-mile slip of water average
8-10 inches but the numbers can be good when vehicles are not throwing
themselves into the water which happens a lot for some reason. Larger fish can
be found in the 10-14 inch range by working deeper pools with patience or areas
that don’t get fished a lot (some sections get hit almost every day spring to
fall).

When I approach a section of river the first thing I do is
cast to the spot that looks most tasty. Maybe this is a pool of flat water
behind a rock or an eddy at the opposite shoreline. The biggest fish in the
area is probably going to fight for that spot and picking fish off nearby may
spook the lunker. In a tiny creek like this the good spots mean survival and
where the first cast always goes. Cast, cast, miss…that is how it often goes
for me on a creek bash. Cast again and move on.

After I have worked the sweet spot a few search casts go out
in a fan cast situation. I hit upstream and roll it down. Throw it downstream
and slow spin it back to me. 2 o’clock, 11 o’clock…sometimes I hit 6 o’clock by
accident and have to dig my presentation out of the trees.

Water is clearing up but still running pretty high. Most of
the drainages are working hard to keep the snowmelt moving where it needs to
go. If an angler waits for conditions to be perfect…that angler will hardly
fish at all.

Friday, July 5, 2013

It seems like a natural thing to simply step out of the boat
and take a wizz on the shoreline. No big deal, right? Bears do it rabbits do
it. A guy has to go, a guy has to go. What is the harm? 99% of the time I
wouldn’t make a hassle out of this but holy cow. Dude? The ranger shack is
about 600 yards from where you are pissing. It looks like you are using the
fishery as a toilet and that is poor form…especially here.

This island (in one of Denver’s most frequented reservoirs) is
off limits and bird watchers go a little ape$hit when they see someone
urinating on what they consider a protected nesting area. If enough people did
this and enough people complained the lake would be shut down. Trespassing
signs would be put back up just like it was back in 1982.

Fishing here is a privilege that the city views more as a
liability than anything else. When boating opened in 1988 folks were cautioned
that all of this was done at the discretion of the city. A few bad instances
could ultimately cost everyone this privilege. Some murmured that it would only
be a matter of time.

These are the moments that make me question my efforts on
elaborate dreams such as optimum fishing management in Colorado. Roving slot
limits, putting big fish back, people following the rules seems so impossible
if others are just going to piss all over it…literally. Maybe I need to scale
things back a little and cover a few basics. Maybe I could suggest that we all
(including me) start making more of an effort to do the following:

1.Minimize our effect on the environment when
outdoors. Maybe that is something as small as keeping the noise level moderate
to something a little bigger like burning the entire forest down somehow.

2.Be kind and courteous to not only others but the
wilderness around us. A good example here is that one group of campers that
expects everyone else to endure their obnoxious behavior while they cut half
the trees down in the camping area with a chainsaw. And that was their first
day camping on the Poudre.

3.Give wild animals the room to be wild and
understand that we are in their home. This pretty much means that no one will
tell that bear to stop eating you in the middle of the night if it really
wants.

4.Be more cautious while experiencing the
outdoors. “Last guy broke a leg on this
run and died. But we’ll get you out of here in one piece buddy. I have a good
feeling about this one.”

5.Don’t be an Ahole, why you gotta be an Ahole?
Everyone is looking at you right now going, “Why is that guy being an Ahole?”

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

There are a few ponds and small lakes in Colorado that I
covet for their bluegill and sunfish opportunities. Quality panfish brooders
like this are as amazing to me as any fish that I catch. The colors and fin
placement gives these fish a more tropical appearance compared to other
freshwater forage fin slappers.Recently
I stumbled across a couple of sunfish that are fairly respectable by Colorado
standards. As soon as I saw them the bass game was put on hold.

Both these fish were caught in four to six feet of water.
They were hanging just outside of a largemouth bass’ nest and picking off small
fry whenever possible. They hit a 1/8oz chartreuse mister twister jig. Nothing
fancy just something I could fish deep and fast with action on the end.

Being very aggressive this time of year they would have hit
anything in the micro size. Panfish will eat a wide variety of insects, minnows
and aquatic organisms so most of the time these fish are not very selective. Quality
panfish like this come from good aquatic conditions and balanced pressure. Like
any sport fish population it greatly helps the sport to put the big ones back.

Monday, June 24, 2013

It looks like The City took over another one of my fishing
spots. This place took me five years to get permission from the homeowners to
launch my tooner on it. In exchange I would do a Mattsabasser trash haul once a
year while expressing only respect when out there. Only a small portion of the
lake was public access and that access was from shoreline only. I had heard
that The City wanted more control but there was no follow up on my part. Roll the
dice and pull the truck up on the place one weekend to discover that a lot
indeed had changed.

(Above: First fish pulled out of weed cover. This is a fish
with a side of salad picture.)

“You can’t take that boat on here.” A young poindexter
immediately barks out as I approach with boat in tow.

After some discussion I choose not to launch and made a call
to the homeowner leaving a voicemail. Eventually I did find out that boat
access has been removed even from the landowners. This is heartbreaking as it
took me so long to get that access on a privileged section of the water.

“It looks like this place is a shorebang situation from here
on out.” I scoff in sadness and remembrance of years that have passed. “That
figures.”

(Above: Respectable fin slapper. In previous years this
would be a good skunk-beater or something that kept the action going between
much larger fish. This year it was my best fish of the day.)

The ditch company isn’t paying for water shares from this
drainage and or routing water from other sources. Instead of water fluctuations
up and down, the pond loses a foot of depth every year. This and other factors
hurt the system in so many ways. The City could put water in there and make the
situation almost as good as it was but they won’t. Most of the shoreline is a
muddish-like quicksand that smells from decades of wet decomposition.

(Above: Last fish picked out of the mudhole and I had to go
in and get him costing me a pair of shoes.)

The same thing happened to another one of my favorite
fishing places when The City took over. The fishing oasis that I had worked so
hard to get access was turned over to the public in a similar fashion. Bad
things happened and in a few short years the whole place was drained. The place
was turned to mud. The only saving grace is the fact I am always looking for
new water and I still managed to C&R a few fish out of this one.

The lure of the day was a 5 inch Yamamoto twin tail grub in
watermelon flake. Every lake is different but this particular body of water has
a lot of weeds and algae that limit some of my other gear options. It also
sports a lot of frogs that the bass love to hammer. I throw this twin tail grub
weightless on the heavy stuff and might slap on a 1/8oz or 1/4oz weight in less
cover. A 2/0 extra wide gap hook or even worm style gets me a few more hooksets
than the plastic frogs with the two prong hook setup.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

It doesn’t take much heat and dryness to create a dangerous
situation in Colorado. Every year it seems to get worse. This year fire season
didn’t wait long and we have several large fires to deal with. The Black Forest
Fire took folks by surprise and was a bit of a flashback to the recent Waldo
Fire. In both instances homes and lives were lost.

As we roll into the dry and hot season I want to urge
caution and respect for the dangers that are present this time of year. I also
want to express sincere prayers and wishes to all that are being affected by
the Back Forest Fire and future fires that will undoubtedly occur.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Early summer conditions in Colorado usually mean water in
the 65-70 degree range mixed with high winds. Wind has been blowing for several
days at speeds that range from 5 to 60mph. These are the times when you pick
the hot spot and gamble on the weather.

“Once the gate opens, all hell could break loose today.”

On this trip I had four rods; two 7 foot, med-fast action with finesse or
fast moving baits and two 6’6” heavy action rods for some jigging action. Jigs
were digging up moss so I leaned heavily on the finesse baits. Fan casting in
all directions I finally get a heavy thump on the line.

The fish battles ferociously and leaps out of the water
twice trying to spit the hook with a frantic headshake.Each time I hold my breath fighting to keep
the line from going slack and losing the fish. I had to adjust the drag back
and forth a few times before finally getting the fish to the hand. Took the
picture and let it go.

I throw a lot fancier stuff for fish here but a 5” senko,
black\blue flake is what got ‘em on what pretty much ended up on a one bite-one
fish run for me. Fished for another hour without so much as a nibble. By then
all hell did indeed break loose and winds started gusting heavily in the
40-50mph range. A land hurricane took over the entire situation and most of the
boats headed for shore. Docking the boat was a challenge and a few folks had to
be towed in by stronger craft.

Right about now I wish that I would have taken a picture of the boat ramp with waves and whitewater. That would have really rounded this post out perfectly. Dang Nabbit.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Cabela's Incorporated, the World's Foremost Outfitter® of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, will celebrate the official grand opening of its two Denver-area locations – Thornton and Lone Tree – Thursday, Aug. 15.

Ribbon-cutting ceremonies hosted by Cabela's executives and special guests will begin at 10:45 a.m. at each location and doors will open for business at 11 a.m. Opening day will begin a weekend-long celebration featuring outdoor celebrities, events for the entire family, giveaways and more.

The Lone Tree store will be located in Douglas County south of Denver in the new RidgeGate Commons development along Interstate 25 at RidgeGate Parkway, about a mile south of Park Meadows Mall. The 110,000-square-foot store will employ approximately 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.

The Thornton store will be located north of Denver in a new retail development along Interstate 25 at 144th Avenue. The new development will be located on the southeast quadrant of the interchange and is being developed by Thornton Development, LLC. The 90,000-square-foot store will employ approximately 175 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.

The stores' interiors are built in Cabela's next-generation format designed to surround customers in the outdoor experience. The exteriors reflect Cabela's popular store model with log construction, stonework, wood siding, a large glass storefront and metal roofing.

In addition to thousands of quality outdoor products, the stores feature a gabled entry facade, fireplace, Gun Library, Bargain Cave, Fudge Shop and mountain replica featuring North American game animals re-created in their natural habitat.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Through my adventures photos are taken that never seem to
make it into specific fish posts. So much of my fishing goes unseen or heard.
Even though these pictures may not be ready for prime time fishing posts, I
have found a way to fit them in an excerpt called “Photos from the field.”

Normally I have a few clever and not so clever captions to
go along with the pictures. This time the photos will be posted without my
captions and will let the viewers make up their own.

As we roll through the last
lush spoonfuls of late spring I want to wish everyone a safe and joyous summer.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- A
Pennsylvania doctor on a guided fishing trip in southwestern Montana went home
with an amazing tale of hauling in a 25-pound lunker — a baby moose she helped
rescue from a rushing river.

Karen Sciascia of Red Hill, Pa.,
and a guide were fishing the Big Hole River on Saturday when they spotted a cow
moose with a calf trying to cross the waterway.

"We were watching this adult
female struggling back and forth, and we didn't see a baby until we got
close," Sciascia told the Missoulian (http://bit.ly/18RzCfb) for a story
published Thursday. "Mom kept pushing — the current was pretty swift. The
mother bolted and took off across the river. She was trying to get across the
main portion of the channel, and even she struggled."

When the calf stepped off the
gravel bar into the water to follow its mother, it was swept downstream.

"It was small, and the river
was swift," Sciascia said. "We lost sight of the baby. It was
hurtling downstream and was being pushed by the river. It was too small to ever
fight the current."

Sciascia and guide Seth McLean
with Four Rivers Fishing Co. in Twin Bridges followed downriver, finally
spotting the tiny moose's nose just above the water.

"We got up alongside it, and
I just grabbed the little bugger. I scooped it up from the river under its
front legs," Sciascia said.

"I tried to hold it out, not
wanting to get my scent all over it, but it was basically limp," she said.
"It was breathing, and with my hand on its chest, I could feel its heart
beating real fast."

McLean rowed the raft upstream
and snapped a photo before they dropped off the calf at the side of the river.

Link to full article and amazing
photo of Karen Sciascia with the baby moose below. Photo provided by the Four
Rivers Fishing Co.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Did I mention that I like to fish? Have I talked about how
much effort, pain and research I go through in hopes of catching really big
fish? Every year I focus a lot of attention in hopes of landing some epic
prespawn fatties. It seems to get tougher ever year.

These fish came from a section of ponds that are not very
big and a total shorebang situation. Once again the trick wasn’t targeting the
nesting the males but rather search casting the water just a few yards beyond
the nesting zone.

Both fish came off of the southwestern edge of the pond.
This quarter of the lake congregated the nesting activity as it had everything
a bass could want. Shallow nesting shelf and then a sharp incline that led
instantly into deeper water. A little bit of wood structure and emerging plant
growth mixed in as well. No tape, no weight. Just ham it up a lil and get the
fish back to minimize the stress. These fish could be sisters they look so
similar. Both fish hit a 4” salamander, green pumpkinseed rigged with an 1/8oz
Texas rig.

Sport Preservation note: Put the big fish back! If you take
fish like this out of the system ultimately you are hurting the sport in many
ways. Each time I show a big fish picture I worry about how many people will be
encouraged to take up the sport of angling only to take home everything they
catch.

About Me

Hello, my name is Matt and I’m a fishaholic. Fishing is more than a recreational sport for me it is an obsession. On the water or at its edge my quest is for the ultimate in the quality fishing experience. Sometimes that means an isolated puddle of water with big fish or those glorious days when the fish seem to just jump in the boat. Maybe it is how the sunlight sparkles off the water and makes this crazy world all fall back into perspective. At least for the moment it does.
This journal will hopefully allow others to share in my fishing adventures, endless rants and shameless bragging. Thank you for stopping by.